Te Papa marks 175th anniversary of signing of Treaty of Waitangi

Te Papa’s programme to mark the 175th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi starts tomorrow evening with our annual treaty debate.

“As guardian of New Zealand’s taonga and stories, Te Papa is proud to mark this important milestone in our history,” says Te Papa Chief Executive Rick Ellis.

The programme includes:

New content in the permanent exhibition Treaty of Waitangi: Signs of a Nation/Te Tiriti o Waitangi: Ngā tohu kotahitanga. This includes four new taonga belonging to chiefs who signed the Treaty – Pūmuka’s flag, Mohi Tāwhai’s hoeroa, Patuone’s mere-pounamu, and Wāka Nene’s taiaha.
A treaty settlements debate Healing the Past, Building a Future featuring Matiu Rei, Jamie Tuuta, Rahui Papa and Peter Douglas, and chaired by Susie Ferguson from Radio New Zealand (Thursday 29 January).
Public and family activities at Te Papa on Waitangi Day including live portraits, shell painting, feather dipping, and ink yourself moko.
Te Papa’s Head of Research, Dame Dr Claudia Orange says this year is also significant as it is effectively 20 years since the treaty settlement process was established.

“Historical settlements have gone some way towards righting the disastrous effects of New Zealand’s history by building Māori community strength. The post-settlement world holds great promise for iwi as well as for the country as a whole,” Dame Claudia says.

Te Papa also plays a critical role in the work of treaty settlements and is currently working with 33 iwi claimant groups at different stages of the settlement process. It is expected that another 48 groups will seek engagement over the next two years as treaty settlements progress.

“Te Papa’s role in the treaty settlements process is about actively assisting iwi claimant groups with their cultural heritage aspirations. Sharing information, knowledge and experience with iwi connects Te Papa with our communities. Reconnecting taonga back to their descendant kin communities is of immense value, as are the enduring relationships being established,” Te Papa’s Kaihautū Dr Arapata Hakiwai says.

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